# Cableways by type of installation

A map of a former edition of the Atlas of Switzerland, the national atlas published by ETH Zurich. It opens only in the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS, not in the web atlas; see the links below.

- Map: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/cableways-by-type-of-installation/
- Short title: Cableways: type of installation
- Map id: 133
- Categories: Traffic and Communication › Mountain railway traffic › Cableway installations
- Keywords: Leisure time, Transport
- Published: 2010-11-26
- Last revised: 2020-03-02
- Content language: English
- Other languages: [Deutsch](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/de/thema/seilbahnanlagen-nach-anlagetyp.md), [Français](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/fr/theme/installations-a-cable-selon-le-type.md), [Italiano](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/it/tema/impianti-a-fune-per-tipo-di-impianto.md)

## Description

The cableway is the principal means of passenger transport in the Swiss Alps. In general terms there are two different types of cableway construction: funicular (ground-based) and air cableways.

*Funicular railways*
Vehicles involved in a funicular railway run on rails. As a rule there are two carriages on the tracks firmly attached to a wire rope. These carriages act as counterweights. Previously a funicular railway was operated by water ballast, but, these days, an electric motor is used to drive the sheave in the mountain station. In all, there are 52 funicular railways in Switzerland.

*Air cableways*
Cars involved in an air cableway are carried on one or several cables. The air cableway systems can be differentiated according to their construction (a) or to the type of car (b).

a) Air cableways differentiated according to their construction:

- *Shuttle systems* have two cars, which travel backwards and forwards between stations. The system can consist of one or two supporting cables. The cars are connected by a traction cable which runs round the drive wheels and tensioning weight in the mountain station. In all, there are 118 air cableways of this sort in Switzerland.
- *Orbital systems* are characterised by the fact that cars suspended from cables move in a circle and retain their direction of travel. Turning the cars is effected by passing through the stations either with the traction cable round the cable sheave or after separate decoupling at reduced speed.

b) Air cableways differentiated according to the type of car:

- *Cable car systems* operate, technically, like orbital systems. The cars are attached to the cable with clamps that are easy to couple. Their average capacity is 12 passengers and there are, in all, 121 cable car systems in Switzerland.
- *Chair lifts* operate, technically, like orbital systems. Seats that can carry an average of 6 passengers are suspended from clamps that are fixed or easily coupled. There are, in all, 344 chair lifts in Switzerland.

## Sources

- Seilbahnen Schweiz/Remontées Mécaniques Suisses/Funivie Svizzere/Pendicularas Svizras (2010): Seilbahnen – Technik – Seilbahnsysteme
- Pendicularas Svizras (2015i): [Fakten und Zahlen zur Schweizer Seilbahnbranche](http://www.seilbahnen.org/de/Branche/Fakten-Zahlen/Fakten-Zahlen)

## Data sources

- Azéma: [Funimag](http://www.funimag.com/suisse/Funimag-Suisse.htm)
- BAK: [Schweizer Seilbahninventar](http://www.seilbahninventar.ch)
- Gross (ed.) (2017): [Bergbahnen.org](https://www.bergbahnen.org/)
- Seitz: [Standseilbahnen.ch](http://www.standseilbahnen.ch)
- swisstopo (2017): [swissTLM3D](https://shop.swisstopo.admin.ch/de/products/landscape/tlm3D)

## Data owners

- [Funimag](http://www.funimag.com/suisse/Funimag-Suisse.htm)
- [Swiss cable railways inventory](http://www.seilbahninventar.ch)
- [Bergbahnen.org](http://www.bergbahnen.org)
- [Swiss Federal Office of Transport (OFT)](http://www.bav.admin.ch/)
- [Standseilbahnen.ch](http://www.standseilbahnen.ch)
- [Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo)](http://www.swisstopo.admin.ch/)

## Citation

The terms of use ask to name the Atlas of Switzerland and the data owners, and to keep the source references in exports, screenshots and embeds. Cite the map as:

> Atlas of Switzerland (2020): Cableways by type of installation. ETH Zürich. Map data © Funimag, Swiss cable railways inventory, Bergbahnen.org, OFT, Standseilbahnen.ch, swisstopo. https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/cableways-by-type-of-installation/

## Links

- Map page, with the description and sources and a button that opens the map in the desktop atlas: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/theme/cableways-by-type-of-installation/
- Open the map in the desktop atlas (version 4), where it is installed: adsglobe://map/133
- Download of the desktop atlas (version 4) for Windows and macOS: https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/ads4-download/

For the use and citation of maps and data, see the [terms of use](https://atlasderschweiz.ch/en/terms-of-use/).